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    NC DEER, BEAR, FOXHOUND HUNTERS ,,,MANDATORY READ,,ALL NC PEOPLE

    March Legislative News & Dog Laws
    People




    Notes From Gary,

    1/ I know you cannot click on links when I copy and post this but you need to take time and read and understand this stuff..Anyone who knows how to get the links up on a copy and post can educate me on it.

    2/We need to start to fill these annual meetings after the first of the year again. (I bet in all dog hunting districts there were less than 15 of us there in all meetings combined !!! (me included was not at one)
    A still hunter complained as still hunters tend to do. And the Director made the statement that his complaints did not fall on deaf ears.
    Every Club Should have three to five members in these meetings each year
    NO MATTER WHAT.....Someone start working on that at your next club gathering.

    3/ I was ask recently when a county proposed dog hunting changes why I was not at the county hearings.......My reply was I don't live in the county and I don't even hunt in the county!!!!

    I also ask back why he was not at the meeting as a resident of the county and why only about 24 people were there when there are at least 300 folks in the county that should have been......(Morale to the story,,The outside members of your hunting club should not have to be more active than your local members to keep your county rights,,,,,,Too much of that goes on.)

    4/ Last year a club called me for some legal help on a problem tree hugger with 20 acres in the middle of 3000 acres of dog club land.

    Not going into details,,,,,,But this club has 30 dog owners no sh_t,,,,
    and not one of them were members of the Sporting Dog Assn. And the guy was upset when they were ask to join as a club. And by doing so they were going to get FREE LEGAL HELP....15 dollars apiece.

    THERE IS NO EXCUSE TO NOT BE A 35.00 PER YEAR MEMBER OF THIS GROUP LOOK AT THE BELOW INFO....LOOK AT WHAT THOSE FEW DOLLARS GETS YOU FOLKS.

    Call them this week and join over the phone.

    5/Look at all the county proposed changes on hunting below. D_mm how did this get to Raleigh without someone in your county not hearing about it.

    Folks we are at a time when you cannot sit on your hands and plan for your kids to be able to enjoy it.......As little as 15 minutes a week goes a long way. Think About It.

    Lastly,,,,The above is MY WORDS and MY OPINION not to do with anything below from NC Sporting Dog

    My phone number is in the Chase KR2090...Lets keep difference of opinions off of public forum,s but call if you need to.
    _____________________________________________________________________________






    Dear Dog OWNERS and Hunters; The NC Sporting Dog Association is guarding your right to hunt and hunt with dogs. Joe & Henri McClees lobby for you at the NC General Assembly.



    2017 Current bills filed & pending

    The NC Legislature convened 1/25/17 in Raleigh. In addition to working on the 2017-2018 State Budget, House & Senate members have filed more than 500 bills on topics ranging from open-carry of handguns to five bills (& counting) on bathrooms. New bills are filed hourly.



    Statewide

    Rep. Jason Saine (Rep., Dt.97, Lincoln County) filed his latest puppy mill bill, House Bill #179 “Dog Breeding Standards/Law Enforcement Tools”. North Carolina has strong laws against animal cruelty. Attached is a ten-page Dog Law Chart showing current criminal & civil laws available to punish animal cruelty, control selling dogs, regulate dog ownership, and regulate hunting. There are ample laws & law enforcement tools in NC. As you can see from the Dog Law Chart, we do NOT need more laws. Law enforcement agencies have the necessary tools. They may need more money in law enforcement budgets, but they do not need more laws.



    HB#179 has been referred to the House Judiciary II Committee. Please contact these Jud.II Committee members. Your Representative may serve on this Committee. Ask these Representatives to vote NO to the puppy mill bill. HB#179 is NOT needed. It would actually impose AKC Show Dog standards to the care of everyday dogs. If you read HB#179, you will recognize these standards are unreasonable & impractical for all outdoor dogs.



    HSUS & PETA are pushing the puppy mill bill. They know the standards of care are unreasonable. They intend to make it increasingly difficult to legally own & breed dogs. They hope to drive people away from dog breeding and dog ownership. We must not give them an inch! For this reason, we cannot and will not compromise on this latest puppy mill bill.



    Although this bill contains an “exemption” for hunting dogs, we know their standard operating procedure would be to get us to compromise because “we can trust them”. Such a compromise would allow them to return to the Legislature later whining about alleged abuse of hunting dogs and demanding that the hunting dog exemption be revoked. This approach is called “incrementalism”. They ask for a lot and settle for a little. If you give them an inch, they will take the inch, but return for another inch. After a few years, you have them everything. We refuse to allow them to take away our rights, inch by inch.



    Local Bills

    Rep. Brian Turner (Dem, Dt.116, Buncombe Co.) filed HB#218 “Prohibit Hunting From ROW/Buncombe County”. A Local Bill, it prohibits “take” as well as other activities. I spoke with Rep.Turner again this year to explain the problems with the use of “take” as part of the prohibition. I explained our concern with the use of this language because of the broad definition of “take” in NCGS §113-130 (7) “To Take. - All operations during, immediately preparatory, and immediately subsequent to an attempt, whether successful or not, to capture, kill, pursue, hunt, or otherwise harm or reduce to possession any fisheries resources or wildlife resources.” This broad definition has resulted in a dog owner seeking to collect his dogs being cited for “hunting from the right of way” when he had no gun and no intention to hunt when he stopped briefly on a right of way. Rep. Turner indicated the WRC had requested the bill, and he would go along with their request. Buncombe County hunters, please contact Rep. Brian Turner, Rep. John Ager, and Rep. Susan Fisher, all of whom signed the bill as primary sponsors. Politely ask these Buncombe Co. legislators to consider amending the language to protect us from the overbroad language.



    Rep. Lee Zachary (Rep., Dt. 73, Alexander, Wilkes, Yadkin Counties) filed HB#272 “Fox & Coyote Trapping/Yadkin County”. This Local Bill would establish an open season for taking foxes by trapping from October 1 through March 31, with no tagging requirements prior to or after sale. It would allow coyote trapping October 1 through March 31. No bag limit applies to foxes or coyotes taken under this act. WRC would provide for sale of foxes & coyotes taken lawfully pursuant to this act.



    Sen. Tom McInnis (Rep., Dt. 25, Anson, Richmond, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly Counties) filed SB#217 “Richmond/Right-of-Way Safety”. This Local Bill would prohibit the discharge of a firearm or bow & arrow from the right-of-way in Richmond County.



    Serious anti-dog hunting bill

    A serious anti-hunting bill is being prepared. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission wants more restrictions on dog hunting. Restricting the size of tracts where dog hunting is allowed is one option. Another restriction could be to require an additional permit to hunt with dogs.



    We will not surrender our rights to external or internal enemies. Dog hunters must guard against continuing efforts of the WRC to restrict dog hunting. We will not agree to (1) limitations on the size of tracts where dog hunting is allowed or (2) submit to a permit system. By definition, any permit system grants to the State the power to issue permits. After such a system is implemented, the State has the power to forbid dog hunting to anyone without a permit.

    When government obtains the authority to issue you a permit, it also obtains the concurrent power to revoke your permit.



    We oppose the permit concept. The WRC desires 100% authority over dog hunting. We reject this transfer of power from the Legislature to the WRC. Now, many dog hunting issues are determined by statute, and cannot be changed by the WRC. Sometimes in WRC meetings, one can detect the resentment when it is admitted that “legislation would be required” to change a particular matter.



    Because many important dog hunting decisions remain with the Legislature, we are better able to keep the WRC from eroding our rights to hunt and hunt with dogs. We have a better chance of preserving our sport and our heritage by working with elected Legislators, rather than the appointed WRC Commissioners and unaccountable staffers.



    NC Legislative Committees on Wildlife

    The 2017 House Standing Committee on Wildlife Resources meets only on the call of the Chairman, and there have been no meetings yet this year. In the Senate, wildlife bills will be referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources. Click on these links and see which Representatives sit on the House committee and which Senators sit on the Senate committee. Please let Joe & Henri know if you personally know any of these Legislators.



    NC Wildlife Resources Commission News

    Bear Rules and more

    After an intense debate among bear hunters in 2015-2016, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission changed its Bear Rules. Bear hunters expressed a broad spectrum of opinions during the public meetings. Temporary rules were implemented, and now the permanent rules go into effect for the 2017-2018 hunting season. Beware: more changes are coming!



    Bear Forums

    At the February 2017 WRC full Commission meeting, five (5) public meetings were announced to discuss new & additional changes to bear hunting regulations and seasons. These five “Bear Forums” will be held across North Carolina during the last week of March and first week of April 2017:

    (1) March 28, 2017 (Tuesday 7pm) at McDowell Community College Auditorium, 54 College Drive, Marion, NC (McDowell County);

    (2) March 29, 2017 (Wednesday 7pm) at Davidson Community College, Reich 100 Auditorium, 297 DCC Road, Thomasville, NC (Davidson County);

    (3) April 3, 2017 (Monday 7pm) at Bladen Community College, 7418 NC 41, Dublin, NC (Bladen County);

    (4) April 5, 2017 (Wednesday 7pm) at Martin Community College Auditorium, 1161 Kehukee Park Road, Williamston, NC (Martin County); and,

    (5) April 6, 2017 (Thursday 7pm) at Craven Community College Orringer Auditorium, 800 College Court, New Bern, NC (Craven County).



    Bear hunters: These will be important meetings, with some drastic changes proposed to bear hunting zones in eastern/coastal NC. The hunting zones and number of days in your bear hunting seasons will be changed. The most radical changes appear to be planned for the southern-most counties, with a substantial loss of bear hunting days. Please attend or send someone from your Club to attend, listen, and communicate these proposals. Let Joe & Henri know what you think of these new proposals.



    Review of Existing Laws: Dog Law Chart

    Recently, we have gotten several legal questions about NC dog laws from legislators and hunters. NC has a complex & extensive set of criminal & civil laws regarding dogs & hunting. For this reason, I prepared the attached “Dog Law Chart”. Save the Dog Law Chart as a reference, copy it, and share it. Please advise if there are other issues you would like addressed on the Dog Law Chart.



    Hunter Trespass: Present law requires written consent to go upon the land of another in order to hunt, including the action of retrieving one’s hunting dogs. If the land is posted by signs or purple paint, it is a misdemeanor to go upon the land without having in one’s possession a copy of the prior written permission dated within the last 12 months. In 2011, the NC General Assembly passed the “Landowners Protection Act” Article 22A, NCGS §14-159.6 et seq., which contains the requirement for written permission.



    NO Right to Retrieve: There is no “Right to Retrieve” in NC. A person is subject to criminal prosecution for trespass on posted land unless the person has written permission to enter the land. The fact that one’s dog is temporarily on that land does NOT give the dog owner any right to enter upon the land or any defense to a charge of trespass. See the Dog Law Chart.



    Landowner rights against unwanted hunting dogs: Does the landowner have any rights? Yes. Does he have the right to shoot the dog? NO. Remove the tracking collar? NO. Retain the dog? Maybe. Have questions? Call us.



    Dog Hunting Ethics

    Hunting with dogs is under attack in the southern states. Here in NC, we choose to stand & fight. At the same time, we recognize North Carolina is changing.



    Plan for the future of hound hunting

    Huge urban areas dominate central NC & bulging suburbs gobble up farm land. NC loses thousands of small farms to development & other non-farming uses. The average age of the NC farmer is increasing. Clearly, a massive transfer of farm land approaches. For long-term security of hunting territory, groups of hunters need to invest in real estate. Band together and purchase land. There are many success stories of Clubs with still hunters and dog hunters co-owning land. Groups of local hunters can work together to preserve hunting for themselves and future generations.



    Rogue Hunters

    As we struggle to keep our sporting traditions alive, dog hunters can no longer “turn a blind eye” to wrongdoers. What if a man believes he ought to be able to release his dogs on posted land he does not own and has no permission to use? It may have been his family’s land in generations past, but no longer. This man declares he will hunt on it anyway. This man is causing problems for you and may have already caused the loss of local land to dog hunters. He is a 21st century “rogue hunter”. Do you have a rogue hunter in your midst? Are you tolerating him? If so, you are hurting yourself & the future of dog hunting. If you tolerate the rogue hunter, you are contributing to the hostility we face from the WRC. Rogue hunters are a small percentage of dog hunters. But the rogue hunters have provided the WRC with ammunition to use against ALL dog hunters.



    What can you do about a rogue hunter? What should you do? If you want to discuss your situation, call us.

    The NC Sporting Dog Association adopted a Code of Ethics, a copy of which will be posted on our website. Many Clubs have codes of conduct & ethical requirements for membership. In addition to dealing with rogue hunters, be proactive. Form positive relationships with land owners. Be good neighbors. Ethical hunters can exert a good influence on the entire community. Enforce your Club’s rules & code of conduct. If you have questions about such enforcement, call us.

    External Enemies & Political Influence

    The NC Sporting Dog Association has stopped all efforts to limit dog hunting in North Carolina. Since 2004, we have been able to stop efforts to limit or stop dog hunting because we have remained united. All types of dog hunters have come together in our coalition.



    From the formation of this coalition of individual hunters, clubs, and hunting associations, we have understood whatever we lost could never be recovered. Dog hunters decided to fight against those who would take away our rights. So far, we have won because we have stayed united. Together, we outnumber the animal rights radicals.



    In the 2017, anti-hunting enemies are again attacking on the state & local levels. What can you do to fight back against these external enemies, like PETA and the Humane Society of the US (HSUS)?

    1. Educate yourself on who won the elections in Nov. 2016. Who is your NC State Senator? Who is your NC House member? Call Joe & Henri McClees for information about Legislators.

    2. Who are your County Commissioners? Does your county have districts? If so, who is the Commissioner who represents the district in which you live? Introduce yourself to your Commissioner and get to know him/her.

    3. Who is your Sheriff? If you do not know him, introduce yourself and get to know him.

    4. If you are not registered to vote, do so now. Pay attention to your local elected officials. Support the elected officials who support our Second Amendment rights to bear arms, our right to hunt, and our right to hunt with dogs.

    5. Advise your elected officials that you care about hunting & hunting with dogs.

    6. Be vigilant. Pay attention to the actions of your County Commissioners. If they are pressured to pass anti-hunting and/or anti-dog breeding ordinances, push back. Attend the meetings and speak out against wrong-headed ideas. Fill up the meeting room with hunters in orange hunting caps.

    7. Call Joe & Henri at the NC Sporting Dog Association for advice, ideas, and help.



    NC Sporting Dog Association needs you!

    The NC Sporting Dog Association appreciates you. You have made our work possible through your support, including financial support, and your actions in the Legislature when necessary. Thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and support.

    Our new website platform is functional at last. It is still has a “plain jane” appearance, but things work. You can join or renew memberships & pay through the website by credit card or via PayPal.

    Thank you for your patience during the slow transfer to the new website platform. Now, we need your contributions for a “content rich” website we can all enjoy.

    Great Photos Needed: Prize winners, dogs in the field, and the next generation of young NC dog hunters. If you have a favorite, send me a digital copy. When you send me a photo, please identify the person(s), date taken, location where taken, and the type of dog(s) featured. With more information, we can better describe your photo. NCSDA President Keith Loudermilt has sent me wonderful beagle photos. Where are the Plotts? Redbones? Black & Tans? Walker dogs? Treeing Walkers? Please help us build a website you will enjoy.

    When you send your photo, you are giving the NC Sporting Dog Assn. permission to display your photo on our website with no compensation or assumption of liability whatsoever (written by Henri the Lawyer). Thank you in advance for enriching our new website.

    Join or renew your membership as 2017 Individual Member online at www.ncsportingdog.org. You may pay online or download & print a 2017 Membership Application. Many thanks to the Clubs who have paid 2017 Club dues. Clubs, you can pay online or send annual dues to our address below. If you have already joined for 2017, thank you! We appreciate you.

    Best always, Joe & Henri McClees

    NC Sporting Dog Association, Inc.

    PO Box 430, Oriental, NC 28571

    Office (252) 249-1097, Fax (252) 249-3275

    Re: NC DEER, BEAR, FOXHOUND HUNTERS ,,,MANDATORY READ,,ALL NC PEOPLE

    I am as guilty as most when it comes to being proactive, I am decent at being reactive, but we need to be proactive.

    Your opinion matters to many on here. Great post.